Dorothée Gilbert and Manuel Legris in Nureyev's Nutcracker © Sébastien Mathé / ONP, 2007

It’s that time of the year again, and the Paris Opera Ballet is celebrating in style with the perennial holiday favorite, The Nutcracker, and a Ballets Russes program comprising of four ballets rarely danced by the company today.  If you fancy a Freudian Sugar Plum Fairy, the original Petrouchka or simply a chance to go and see the Christmas lights in Paris, here are a few tips, starting with the usual dilemma: which dancers shall you see?

Tree growing at the Opéra Bastille – Nutcracker casting

Myriam Ould-Braham & Nikolai Tsiskaridze

© David Elofer / Dmitry Rozhkov

Beauty and the Beast
19 December (evening), 22 December

Why you want to see them : strong contenders for most unlikely couple of the year, and yet – the petite, delicate Paris Opera soloist and the tall Bolshoi star who ranges from teddy bear to neurotic on stage might be magic together. Myriam Ould-Braham was filmed in the role two years ago, and it is an all too rare occasion to witness her lyrical, absorbing presence. Tsiskaridze could make the odd Drosselmeyer/Prince of this version work, and we would then be in for a truly Freudian Nutcracker, in the best Nureyev tradition.

Potential holiday fun : watching Nikolai Tsiskaridze trying to work his long legs and bravura Moscow persona around Nureyev’s insanely complicated petit allegro choreography. When inspired, he does also occasionally hang on to nearby curtains.

» Video : Nikolai Tsiskaridze in Yuri Grigorovitch’s Nutcracker (Bolshoi Ballet)

Natalia Osipova & Matthias Heymann

© Andrei Melanin / ONP

The Firecracker Competition
8 & 9 January (evening)

Why you want to see them : She is the It Russian Girl of the ballet world – he is the latest prodigy of the Paris Opera Ballet. Neither has danced Nutcracker before, and neither is entirely right for the ballet, but watching them outdo each other in terms of stage presence and technical tricks should be an experience in itself. Natalia Osipova, the Bolshoi star now in demand everywhere, is a rare treat in Paris, and her high-flying sense of fun can be a breath of fresh air.

Potential holiday fun : Matthias Heymann, the happy kid on the block, as Clara’s old, grey-haired, limping godfather Drosselmeyer. A hilarious first act should ensue.

Dorothée Gilbert & Matthieu Ganio

© ONP / Michel Lidvac

Hieratically French
11, 13, 14, 25 & 29 December

Why you want to see them : They are two of the brightest young stars of the company, and although they haven’t been paired very often, their elegant, hieratic styles should complement each other perfectly. Matthieu Ganio, hopefully back for good after several long-term injuries, is a beautifully understated dancer, who should bring dignity to Drosselmeyer and the Prince. Gilbert was made an Etoile in the role of Clara two years ago, and she is entirely at home in Nureyev’s combinations of combinations.

Potential holiday fun : Which one of them will regret first to have agreed to five performances (seven for Dorothée Gilbert), and throw Nureyev overboard for a version of the choreography that would actually be fun?

» Video : Dorothée Gilbert in the final Pas de Deux of the ballet, with Manuel Legris

Myriam Ould-Braham & Emmanuel Thibault

© David Elofer

Phantoms of the Opera
5 & 9 (matinee) January

Why you want to see them : Both are so rarely allowed on stage, let alone together, that their partnership has almost become a legend. The atmostphere at every one of their appearances in classical ballets was electrifying, and I cherish the memory of their Don Quixote and Fille mal gardée. Ekaterina Maximova & Vladimir Vassiliev invited them to perform at their 50th Anniversary Gala. Old-school stagecraft is their secret, and dancing together they are a wonder, an 18th-century painting come to life.

Potential holiday fun : Emmanuel Thibault flying across the stage, but watching them have fun together should be enough for a bright New Year in any event.

» Video : Myriam Ould-Braham & Emmanuel Thibault in a Vassiliev Pas de Deux

Mathilde Froustey & Matthias Heymann

© ONP

Ambitious Youth
23 & 26 December

Why you want to see them : Both are crowd-pleasers, and Froustey is the undisputed darling of the French audience, who has been waiting in the wings of stardom for a few years. A born Fille mal gardée, she knows how to capture attention, and her technique is both strong and light, despite her thinness. The youthful couple of the run.

Potential holiday fun : Seeing them flirt with you, dear audience, much more than with anybody on stage.

Outsiders : Mélanie Hurel, Christophe Duquenne & Alessio Carbone, three strong and experienced soloists; Ludmila Pagliero & Josuah Hoffalt, who have both just been promoted to the rank of premiers danseurs.

Back to the Ballets Russes, once more

Le Spectre de la Rose / Le Tricorne / L’après-midi d’un faune / Petrouchka

Petrouchka and L’après-midi d’un faune were last seen in Paris in 2001, and when Le Tricorne was performed for the last time, Brigitte Lefèvre wasn’t heading the company yet (prehistoric times, in other words).  This Ballets Russes offering is an occasion to see a whole new generation take on legendary leading roles, and some performances will be filmed, with broadcasts and a DVD to follow.

Don’t miss :

• Nicolas Le Riche and Clairemarie Osta in Petrouchka, in different casts. Sadly, Manuel Legris has pulled off his scheduled performances in the ballet due to injury, but Nicolas Le Riche should bring maturity and experience to the title role. Clairemarie Osta, on the other hand, was born to dance the Ballerina, and her Ondine-like eyes and soft lines should work wonders on stage.
• Emmanuel Thibault and either Delphine Moussin or Clairemarie Osta in Spectre de la Rose. Matthias Heymann will be featured on the future DVD, but Emmanuel Thibault is a special performer, all lightness and infallible style. This may be the last occasion to see him in this iconic role.
• José Martinez and Eve Grinsztajn in Le Tricorne, in different casts. José Martinez has been dancing the main role since 1992, the year he was promoted to Premier Danseur, and he even took part in its Moscow premiere at the Bolshoi, in 2005. A lucky role for the Spanish dancer, who will be featured on the DVD. Eve Grinsztajn, on the other hand, will not, but the fiery Première Danseuse, who had early triumphs as the Street Dancer in Don Quixote, should bring all the needed weight and strength to the Meunière.
• Nicolas Le Riche or Jérémie Bélingard in L’après-midi d’un faune. Pure sensuality ahead with these two – remember Le Riche in Béjart’s Boléro. Jérémie Bélingard was even in a commercial for Jean-Paul Gaultier not so long ago, and his very physical stage presence should fit the Faun like a glove.

The American Ballet Theatre in Petrouchka © Gjon Mili / Time Inc. (1946)

But it is sold out…

This being ballet-starved Paris, both Nutcracker and the Ballets Russes program sold out within hours. So what can you do if you are coming in December, or if you still want to?

• Check daily, and even several times a day, the website of the Paris Opera. Once in a while, a few (usually top-price) tickets for one or more performances are made available this way, but you’ll have to jump on them.
• Audience members will sometimes sell tickets they cannot use, and a lot of them do so on Dansomanie, a popular French website, via “post-it” posts on top of the main discussion board. Be aware though that the number of people looking for Nutcracker tickets is higher than ever, especially for Natalia Osipova and Nikolai Tsiskaridze’s performances.
• If you are in Paris and want to see a performance, go and queue for returns at the box-office. They are sold at regular prices around 45 minutes before the performance, but the queue around Christmas gets absolutely huge, and if you want something you should plan to arrive several hours in advance. If you are eligible for concessions last minute tickets, don’t waste your time – these are only sold after everyone in the returns queue has been served, and as the French would say, hens will grow teeth before that happens in December.
• Beware of the black market – you will undoubtedly find resellers around the entrance of each Opera, Bastille and Garnier, who try and sell cheap tickets at five times their regular price. Don’t accept.

Finally, if you can’t find anything, don’t be too disappointed – the Ballets Russes program will be broadcast live in French, Belgian and Swiss cinemas on 22 December (see the list here), with a DVD to follow. The Nutcracker was filmed two years ago with Myriam Ould-Braham and Jérémie Bélingard, but it has yet to be released.

Happy holiday season!

More links:
» Official casting for Nutcracker on the website of the Paris Opera Ballet
» Official casting for the Ballets Russes program on the website of the Paris Opera Ballet
» Elizabeth Maurin and Laurent Hilaire in the two main pas de deux from Nureyev’s Nutcracker (TV production, 1989)
» Laëtitia Pujol and Manuel Legris in the final pas de deux
» Rudolf Nureyev in L’après-midi d’un faune (Afternoon of a Faun)